The custom of women kindling Shabbat candles to usher in the holy day of Shabbat is well known and even secular Jews do it

Shabbat is a wondrous day that has incredible potential and it behoves us to make the most out of it. It is referred to in many places as the “source of all blessings”, and is filled with laws to help us maximize this experience. So much so that the sages already taught that “if the Jewish People would keep only 2 Shabbatot, they’d be immediately redeemed”. Sadly it seems this has never happened.

As we saw in another article, a person can receive extra souls on this holy day, that will be with him throughout the week, and also bless the rest of the days. Many other customs like kids kissing their mother’s hand, encircling the table, going to the Mikvah (for men), and completing the parsha of the week are a few ways to enhance one’s perception of the lights available here.

The awesome Mitzva d’Rabbanan of lighting Shabbat candles, taught from a young age, signifies the transition from the mundane week to the Kedusha (holiness) of Shabbat. The laws, or Halachot, are straightforward: women light at least two candles 20 minutes (in Israel, 40 minutes) before sunset, reciting the blessing, “Blessed are you God, Lord, master of the universe, who has sanctified us and commanded us to light Shabbat candles.” A single man generally lights on his own for other men (like in a Yeshiva).

This act marks the official start of Shabbat for the woman lighting the candles, unless she has the intention not to yet receive Shabbat, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Many light earlier as a segulah (spiritual remedy) to increase blessings in the home and to raise children who are Torah scholars as we find in the Talmud. This early lighting enhances the sanctity of Shabbat, allowing its holiness to spill into the regular days of the week, sanctifying the mundane even more.

Yet, beyond the simplicity of this mitzvah, lies a treasure of Kabbalistic secrets.

Rectifying Blood-Spilling

Each of the three mitzvot (commandments) given to women which are lighting Shabbat candles, observing family purity laws, and separating challah aim to rectify a specific sin that happened in Gan Eden as follows:

• Lighting Shabbat candles rectifies the sin of idol worshipping, since as our sages teach, a Jew who doesn’t keep Shabbat is like an idol worshipper.
• Baking Challa rectifies the sin of blood spilling, as death entered the world only after Adam and Chava (Eve) ate from the Tree of Knowledge, and Adam was called “the Challah [i.e. choicest part] of the world”.
• Keeping the laws of Taharat HaMisphacha (family purity) atones for Giluy Arayot (sexual immorality).

The soul is likened to Hashem’s candle, as in the verse “The soul of man is a candle to Hashem, searching all the inner chambers” (Proverbs 20:27). This soul, diminished by the primordial sin, is gradually rectified through the kindling of Shabbat candles.

Furthermore, the 39 types of forbidden work on Shabbat correspond to the 39 curses Creation received (10 for men, 10 for women, 10 for the serpent, and 9 for the earth). Observing Shabbat annuls these curses, restoring balance to Creation.

Rebuilding the Temple at Home

The Zohar offers powerful insights into the symbolism of the two Shabbat candles. One represents “Shamor” (safeguard, the feminine aspect), and the other “Zachor” (remembrance, the masculine aspect). These candles also symbolize the holy Menorah from the Temple, the source of all wisdom.

The Zohar further elucidates that four main rectifications of the Shekhina (the immanent, feminine aspect of Hashem’s providence) are represented by the items prepared by the Shunamite woman for the prophet Elisha: a bed, a candelabra, a table, and a chair.

These items correspond to the Holy Ark with Cherubim, the Menorah, the Golden Table of Showbread, and the Golden Incense Altar in the Temple’s Inner Chamber. Thus, Shabbat candles, ideally lit with olive oil like the Menorah, transform the home into a sanctuary where the Shekhina resides and blesses.

Other Customs and Meditations

Halacha instructs that Shabbat candles be lit where meals are taken, as their light brings peace and joy to the home. This practice unites all rectifications of the Shekhina. A special meditation from the Arizal’s writings draws the holiness and light of the candles into the home.

The Hebrew word for candle, נר (ner), has a numerical value of 250, corresponding to the first letters of the first two parts of the soul, Nefesh (נפש) and Ruach (רוח). The number 250 symbolizes the union and sweetening of three of Hashem’s main names (אהיה – אלוהים – אדוני) with three times the supreme name יהוה.

This meditation, which can be performed by the woman lighting the candles or by the man before Kiddush, involves contemplating the following names:

• איההיוהה
• אילההויהם
• אידהנויה

By weaving these six names together, we achieve the numerical value of 250, embodying the candle. This act of meditation unites the spiritual worlds and sweetens the divine names, bringing awesome blessings into the home.

May we merit to bring all the blessings from the Torah and turn our homes into a true Mikdash (temple) of Hashem!